TO SHAME ROAD HOGS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 77, 27 June 1928, Page 6

TO SHAME ROAD HOGS

AMERICAN PLAN. SKULL AND, CROSSBONE TAGS. ~"." nif YORK; May 14. Tha,t v 'the finger of public scorn might be pointed at motorists who break the traffic? laws, Mr Thomas Dean, of Oakland, California, has patented a system of placarding the cars of offenders.

His idea is that a magistrate, on convicting a delinquent, should not only fine him, . but order that he should carry, on" the frpic and back 'of 'his -ear, for.?a -period commensurate with the i offence, a five-inch square tag indicative of the 'nature df the misdemeanour. A bar to the tag would indicate a repetition of the offence. ?,

' The inventor classifies f"ivr chief motoring : offences.. The hit-run driver is'he who-nitts .down ;a pedestrian or hito !a vehicle an,! speeds on his way without inquiry or apparent regret*. His tag 'Would be a white tkull" and crosduoues on : a black background in a circle. A motorist convl'ted of dbobeyiag traffic signals be distinguished by a yellow diamond tag with the word "Stop" boldly printed i white upon it. , A drunks driver would -have to /carry a lu-iisontal oblong tag, green'w'th a red border, With ; an iunditlatlag red. band across it. For the speedster a .perpendicular 'otilong "tag, with red der, With a-flash; of-red lightning depicted on it r would serve as, an easy identification mar*.

>emdorsinq; THE LICENCE. It ds )provided,vthat wljen the tags are ordered to be fixed to the car a small corresponding mark shall b e stamped on *he licence with a note of; the date when the tag sentence will expire. ■ This Jg designed to discourage the illegal jettisoning of the tags. It, remains to be seen whether American States will adopt the tag law or rely upon fine and gaol to lessen traffic offences. '-■ .:;■'. 882 R